Stoker-feed mechanism.



. C. A. HENRY,

STOKER FEED MEUHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 7, 1910.

Patent-ed. Aug. 15, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVHTQR WITN ESSES AZJ%WZM W. C. A. HENRY.

STOKER FEED MECHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 7, 1910.

3 SHEETS-BREEZE 2.

INVENTOR Mae.

Patented A110". 15, 1911..

incomes.

- siding at entrain sra'riis earn r er on.

WILLIAM c. A. HENRY, or COLUMBUS, QHIO.

sroirnarnnn MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

Application filed November 7, 1910. Serial No. 591,149.

-tender of a locomotive to the locomotive itself. The invention has for its principal objects; the provision of a feeding mechanism whereinthe outlet from the tender may be placed farther to the rear thanhas been feasible with previous feed mechanism of this general character; the provision of means upon the crushing pistonfor preventing the clogging or bridging of the coal;

the provision of an improved door construction adapted to permit the agitators on the crushing piston to operate when the door is partially closed; the provision of an improved form of chute adapted to reduce the danger of the packingand clogging of the coal in the chute; and the provision of an improved mechanism for operating the door;

controlling the outlet from the tender. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,.wherein:-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through ,a locomotive tender equipped with my improved construction.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the tender with a portion of, the: floor broken away and the.

chute partially in section in order to dis close the construction of the parts, and

Figure 3 is a section on the line III'III of Figure v1. I

Referring to the drawings, the principal parts may be briefly enumerated as-follows.

1 is the fire-box of the locomotive, which may be of any approved type; 2-2 are receivingor feed chambers which open into the fire-box? and from which the coal is forced by means of the pistons j" 4: is a steam cylinder located at the side of the firebox and furnishing the power for operating the feed pistons 8-3; 5 is a transverse shaft carrying the crank arm 6 connected to the piston of the steam cylinder and the'crank arm? secured to the connecting rods 8 -8 from which the two feed pistons 33 are re ciprocated; 9 is'the floor of the locomotive vertical outlet portion 11 and the transverse the transverse passage 12 and adapted to feed the-coal rearwardly and crush up the tators for preventing the coal from bridging above the outlet passage 11; 15 is the hopper into which the coal from the passage 12 is discharged; 16 is a chute havingits top open to receive the discharge from the hopper 15, and extending forwardly to a position above the feed chambers 2-2 of the 10- to permit of such discharge; 17 is a feed piston working in the rear. end of the chute 16 and adapted to give the coal discharged into the chute from the hopper 15.-its preliminary forward movement; 18 are a series of feed flaps or plates for advancing the fuel passage 11, such door being provided with a plurality of slots to receive the ends of the controlle d. I

The chute 16 is preferably made of sheet metal and carries at its upper portion a pair of reciprocatory rods '21 to which is secured the'piston as are also the flaps 18, such flaps being divided into fingers ts-indicated in Fig. 8, and being free to swing forwardly, but held by stops against movement to the rear of-the position. shown in Fig. 2, the method of operation of such flaps being well known in the art. The bars 21 have secured transversely to their upper sides the bar 22, which bar has pivoted to its ends the connecting rods 2323 (Fig. 2), such connectother ends to the upright swinging members 2 l24c. The members-2424 are oscillated to secure the reciprocation of the bars 21 and the flaps 18 carried thereby by means of the connecting rods 25-25 pivoted at at their? front ends to the connecting rods 26- 26. The connecting rods 26 -26 are sefcured to the opposite ends of the bar '27 upon which the pistons 33 are mounted, and'the rear end of the-connecting rod 26 is ivoted at 28 to the. piston 13.150 that the outlet portion 12; 13 is a piston working in larger lumps; 14 14-14 (Fig. 2) are agicomotive, the bottom of the chute being open 1 through the chute "16; 19 is a sliding door for controlling the flow of fuel through the agitators 14; and 20 is an operating leverfrom which the movement of the door 19 is p which is provided with a passage having the ing rods being secured pivotally at their I I their rear ends to the members 24:-24;, and' pistoiis 8+3, the piston 13, the-piston and the flaps 18 all reciprocate in unison.

The controlling door 19. is providedat its 1 rear end with a transverse bar 29 (Fig- 2) which bar carries at its ends the connecting rods 3030. These connecting rods are secured at their frontends to the ends of the crank arms'3l. 31 carried by the rock shaft 32, and the rock shaft has pivoted thereon the controlling handle 20. In or.-

der to move the door to vanydesired position without swingingthe handle through. a large are the rack- 38- is'providedkeyed upon the I shaft'32, the teeth of the rack being en gaged by the reci'procatory latch 35 'operated from. the handle 36, thus providing a ratchet movement-whereby the door 19 ma beopened by several relatively limited oscillations of the handle instead of by. one

"the slot s'in the door 19 long swing thereof, for which the space available is insufficient. Theprovision of permits of the operation of the agitators 14 when the door is partially closed, so that these members operate as'efi'ectively when the door is partially closed as when entirely open.-

It has been found desirable to operate the crushing piston 13 rearwardly instead of forwardly as this permits the outlet passage .to be placed farther to the rear than would be. thelcase if the piston 13 were operated in the reverse direction. 'This is advan:

tageous inasmuch as it brings the outlet passage 11 more nearly under the peak of the coal pile and closer to the inclined por tion 36 ofthe flooring, so that the amount of coal which will be discharged from the tender by g'ravity'a'nd without 'manual labor is increased to a maximum.

It will. also be noted that the rear end '37 g of the chute 16 is reduced in diameter..

This is advantageous in that the feeding capacity of-the piston 17 as compared with the flaps 18 is reduced, and the danger of ging is avoided during the passage of the fuel through the chute 16, and no hand la-. bor is necessary to break up the coal to proper. size forusc in the firebox) Asthe piston 13 moves rearwardly to ipermit a fresh chargeiof fuel to fall in front thereof,

the piston 17 moves forwardly forcingthe coal into the chute .to a position-where it can be. engaged by the rear flaps." These flaps forward the fuel to the feedfchambers 2 2 step-by-step, and is then forced into the fire-box by means of the pistons 3-3.

Having thusv described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and by Letters Patent is the foldesire'to secure lowing 1.. In combination in apparatus for'supplying coal toa locomotive fire-box, a tender provided with-a gravity discharge pas-- .sage having a transverse port on, a;p1st 0n working 1n the transverse portion and arranged to carry the coal rearwardly, a chute having its rear portlon in pos tion to .re-

.ceive the discharge from the passage and extending forwardly to a point adjacent the fire-box, and reciprocatory -means in the chute for feeding the coal therethrough.

2. In combination in apparatus for supplying coal to a locomotive fire-box, a

tender provided witha gravity discharge passage having a transverse portion, apiston working in the transverse portion and arranged to carry the coal rearwardly, a

chute having its rear portion in position to receive the discharge from the passage and extending forwardly to a point adjacent the locomotive fire-box, a piston in the chute adjacent the point .of discharge into the chute for giving the coal 'its preliminary forward movement, and reciprocatory means. in the chute for forwarding the coal therethrough. Y

3. In combination in apparatus for supplying coal' to a locomotive fire-box. a

tender provided with a-gravity discharge passage having atransverse portion, "apieton working in the transverse portion and, 9

arranged to carry the coal rearwardlyh a chute having its-rear portion in position to receive the. discharge from the passage and extending forwardly to a point adj acentthe locomotive fire-box," a piston in the chuteadjacent the point of discharge into .the

chute for giving-the coal its preliminary forward movement, vreciprocatory means 1n.

the chute for forwarding the coal. there through, and means for reciprocating such last means and the two pistons 1n unlson.

4C. In. combination in apparatus for supplying coal to a locomotive fire-box, a tender provided with a gravity discharge passage having a transverse portion, a piston working in the transverse portion and arranged to carry the coal rearwardly, a chute having its rear portion in position to receive the d recharge from the passage and extending forwardly'to a point adjacentthe locomotive fire-box, a piston in the chute ad- 'jacent the point of discharge into the chute for giving the'eoal its, preliminary forward movement, reciprocatory means in the chute for forwarding the coal therethrough, a chamber in position to receive thev discharge rom; t chu m a therein for forcing the coal into the fire-box, and means for reciprocating such last means, the piston and the forwarding means in unison.

5. In combination in apparatus for supplying coal to a locomotive fire-box, a tender provided with a gravity discharge passage having a transverse portion, a piston work ing in the transverse portion and arranged to carry the coal rearwardly, a chute having its rear portion in position to receive the discharge from the passage and'extending forwardly to a point adjacent the locomotive fire-box, a piston in the chute adjacent the point of discharge into the chute for giving the coal its preliminary forward movement,- reciprocatory means in the chute for for- -warding thecoal therethrough, a chamber in position to receive the discharge from the chute, means therein for forcing the coal into the fire-box, means for reciprocating such last means, and connecting rods whereby the piston and forwarding means are operated from such last means in step therewith.

6. In combination in apparatus for supplying coal to a locomotive fire-box, a tender provi ed with a gravity discharge passage, a piston working transversely thereof and provided with upwardly projecting agitating means, and a forwarding chute to which the piston discharges.

7. In'combination in apparatus for supplying coal to a locomotive fire-box, a tender provided with a gravity discharge passage, a sliding door for controllin the discharge through the passage provide with a longi tudinal slot, a piston working transversely of the passage, an agitator projecting upwardly from the piston and-adapted to reciprocate in the said sl'ot when the door is closed or partially'closed, and a forwarding chute into which the'pi's'ton discharges.

8.'In combination in apparatus for discharging coal to a locomotive fire-box, a tender provided with a gravity discharge passage, a crushing piston working transversely of the said passage, a chute in position to receive the discharge from said piston and extending forwardly to the locomotive, reciprocatory flaps in the chute for forwarding the fuel through the chute, and a piston movable therewith in the rear end of the chute for giving the fuel its preliminary forward movement, the portion of the chute in which the piston is mounted being less in depth than that of the portion of the chute carrying the flaps, and having its bottom above the bottom of the main portion of the chute.

9. In combination in apparatus for sup plying coal to-a locomotive fire-box, a tender provided with a gravity discharge passage, a chute and forwarding means beneath the tender whereby the fuel is forwarded to the fire-box, a sliding door positioned to work across the said assage, a rock shaft with a handle pivote thereon, an operating crank secured to the shaft, a connection from the crank to the door, and a ratchet connection between the shaft and the handle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my namein the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

W. C. A. HENRY. Witnesses:

THOMAS WATSON, DOERING BELLINGER. 

